The Greentown Project: Building Evidence to inform Intervention Design for Juveniles Caught-up in Local Criminal Networks

Catherine M. Naughton, Sean Redmond, Eoin O’Meara-Daly

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

A small minority of juveniles are responsible for the majority of detected juvenile crime in Ireland. This situation presents significant policy concerns. The current paper, based on findings from a comparative analysis builds on a multi-step research design process to provide evidence-based knowledge to inform the design of a new targeted intervention. An initial social network analysis of national crime and intelligence data produced localized basic criminal network maps illustrating co-offending and intelligence relationships between adults and juveniles in specific Police sub-districts (Part 1). These network maps then provided an enquiry frame for interviews with members of the police forces in three case study locations (Part 2). A comparative analysis of the three studies (Part 3) identified diversity in network structure and inherent resilience. The analysis also identifies core similarities in juveniles’ vulnerabilities and risks to recruitment. These factors are important considerations for an intervention seeking to disrupt networks and create safe “exit” environments for juveniles.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)17-33
Number of pages17
JournalInternational Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology
Volume67
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2023

Keywords

  • comparative analysis
  • criminal network
  • intervention design
  • juvenile crime
  • Twinsight

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